Jets need to help Robby Anderson, not release him

It’s always a shame to see a player wasting his talent, but that’s the road Robby Anderson is on after his most recent arrest.

Following a breakout 2017 season in which Anderson set career highs in receptions (63), receiving yards (941) and touchdowns (7), he was primed to take the next step in becoming the true No. 1 wide receiver that the Jets need heading into 2018.

Now, it wouldn’t be a shocker if Anderson never plays for the Jets again.

Forget about football. Anderson is clearly a young man in desperate need of an attitude adjustment. While his talent is undeniable, his immaturity and ego have been a factor more than once during his two-year NFL career.

His latest run-in with the law not only displayed both of his uglier traits, but it would be understandable if it was the straw that broke the camel’s back in terms of his future in New York.

Whether it was calling out Josh McCown for not throwing him the ball early in the season, throwing a temper tantrum in the closing seconds of a loss to the Miami Dolphins, or making his case for the Pro Bowl on the sideline against the Carolina Panthers, Anderson had a few “look at me” moments in 2017. Those of course, pale in compariosn to back-to-back offseason arrests in South Florida, the latest of which features nine charges.

Among them: threatening to sexually assault a police officer’s wife.

The Jets have to be sick of Anderson’s antics. If his on the field mishaps weren’t enough, now they have to deal with his off the field problems as well. The details of his latest arrest are tough to stomach.

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It has gotten to the point where Mike Maccagnan, Todd Bowles and the rest of the front office have to decide whether keeping Anderson around any longer is worth it.

In terms of on the field success, the Jets need Anderson in order for the offense to reach its full potential. Every good offense has a dangerous vertical threat who can stretch the defense out and make big plays down the field. Anderson fits that description to a tee.

As a man, Anderson still has a lot of growing and maturing to do. Throwing him out on the street likely won’t do him any good — and likely won’t happen. In the past, Bowles has been extremely supportive and forgiving of his players until he no longer has a reason to believe in them. In Anderson’s case, there’s still hope for him.

For the receiver’s sake, he better hope his coach and team are willing to help — and take any advice he gets to heart.

On the field, Anderson’s helmet slam against Miami proved to be the wake-up call he needed, as he was a model citizen and teammate from that point forward, depending on what one makes of the Pro Bowl plea. Obviously, this situation is much more serious, but maybe this incident is the wake-up call he needs to become a model citizen off the field.

The Jets probably won’t cut him, but from now on, there needs to be a zero-tolerance policy with Anderson. One more mistake and he’s got to go. Whether the Jets keep Anderson or not, punishment from the NFL is likely coming his way, meaning there’s a good chance Anderson is suspended to start 2018.

Everyone deserves a second chance, but Anderson has already gotten more than that. He’ll get another given his talent, but this has to be the last one.